Acceptable Inclusion Levels for Selected Brown and Red Irish Seaweed Species in Pork Sausages

Commercially available Irish edible brown (Himanthalia elongata—sea spaghetti (SS), Alaria esculenta—Irish wakame (IW)) and red (Palmaria palmata—dulse (PP), Porphyra umbilicalis—nori) seaweeds were incorporated into pork sausages at 1%, 2.5%, and 5%. Proximate composition, salt, water-holding (WHC), cook loss, instrumental colour analysis, texture profile analysis (TPA), and sensory analysis were examined. Protein (13.14−15.60%), moisture (52.81−55.71%), and fat (18.79−20.02%) contents of fresh pork sausages were not influenced (p > 0.05) by seaweed type or addition level. The ash content of pork sausages containing PP, SS, and IW at 2.5% and 5%, and nori at 5%, were higher (p < 0.05) than the control sample. In comparison to the control, sausages containing nori, SS, and IW at 5% displayed higher (p < 0.05) WHC. Cook loss was unaffected (p > 0.05) by the addition of seaweeds into sausage formulations, compared to the control and within each seaweed. The addition of seaweeds into sausages had an impact on the surface colour (L* a* b*) and texture profile analysis (TPA) at different inclusion levels. Overall, hedonic sensory acceptability decreased (p < 0.05) in cooked sausages containing PP at 2.5% and 5%, and SS and IW at 5%.